Many choose to have a completely different computer with FSX on it to avoid mixing in FSX registry entries and other related software inwith non-FSX software. I want to avoid a second machine and just use one machine, just install FSX on a separate drive that has its own separate OS installation. Is this even possible? What I've come up with so far is a big, NO. I have two hard drives on one computer each with their own copy of XP Home. Even when I boot up to the second copy of XP Home, the computer is still recognizing the original XP Home hard drive as the main C: drive. If I install FSX on the other hard drive, am I right in assuming that FSX files are still going to go to the main C: drive in with all my other non-FSX stuff? Can this be avoided other than having a separate computer all alone for FSX? Randy, KPDX

Many choose to have a completely different computer with FSX on it to avoid mixing in FSX registry entries and other related software inwith non-FSX software. I want to avoid a second machine and just use one machine, just install FSX on a separate drive that has its own separate OS installation. Is this even possible? Randy, KPDX

Not sure you'd be gaining that much.. Having FSX on it's own drive makes sense, because you can have two separate disk drivesserching and transferring data without interference.So, install FSX on the second drive, defrag it by name and keep it clean and lean.The C: drive with the paging file on it, also defragged regularly, and you've got a good setup.

You may be right Bert, but I do have a lot of background programs running on my main machine that I would never want muddling up resources with FSX running. I may be barking up tree that doesn't exist.Randy, KPDX

Many choose to have a completely different computer with FSX on it to avoid mixing in FSX registry entries and other related software inwith non-FSX software. I want to avoid a second machine and just use one machine, just install FSX on a separate drive that has its own separate OS installation. Is this even possible? What I've come up with so far is a big, NO. I have two hard drives on one computer each with their own copy of XP Home. Even when I boot up to the second copy of XP Home, the computer is still recognizing the original XP Home hard drive as the main C: drive. If I install FSX on the other hard drive, am I right in assuming that FSX files are still going to go to the main C: drive in with all my other non-FSX stuff? Can this be avoided other than having a separate computer all alone for FSX?Randy, KPDX

Well, I had this setup a while back - Vista, XP and XP for FS9 infact :)What you want to do is perfectly possible - Although you'll be installing your FSX onto the second XP (which let's say is installed as D:\Windows), the FSX installer should pick up and, IIRC, offer to install to D:\Program Files\Microsoft Games. The installer pics up the OS partition, is should not be hardcoded to default to C:I did have a couple of niggles with this setup though - AES seemed to have a bit of a benny reinstalling and uninstalling, but I figured this was due to it expecting Windows on the C drive. I found a workaround, though I struggle to remember what.All your FS apps and non FS apps should stay quite happily separate, but always check the where the installer is pointing to.If you have a dual boot Win7 though, you'll be fine as each install sees itself installed to C and the other install as D.I've pretty well dumped that though, I got tired of maintaining 3 different OS's - I just have Win7 now, and have to say FSX seems to run OK that along with the other apps. I've used Alacrity to eek out a couple of extra FPS's, and as far as GA flying goes, I'm pretty happy with it (I've really got into it since getting the PMDG BAE JS, although I am struggling to get good FR's- that's a different story for another day though..)

Yup as stated, its very possible to due. I currently have 3 hardrives, one for every day stuff (office word, internet, music, etc) with it's own OS, another for games with its own OS, and the 3rd as a backup/storage drive. Works very well.